Cooperative Learning Groups & Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

Wow!!!  What a week.....is all I can say.  But it did end with a great field trip to the pumpkin patch.  All 1st graders had the best time & perfect weather compared to the beginning of the week.

Well with the new Common Core we have been thinking of ways 1st graders can work collaboratively.  We simplified Cooperative Learning groups to fit what we wanted in 1st grade.  We found many ideas & picked out what we wanted & made our jobs.  Maybe this could work for your younger students.  I was surprised mine did really well.  Here's how we did it......


First I went over this poster telling what the 4 jobs were going to be & our assignment.   Our assignment was to take Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed  & fill out the writing diamond with the beginning, middle & ending of the story.  We had been reading these books all week & filling out the story diamond after reading.

Then I passed out these cards that are colored coded.  They had to find their color & sit somewhere in the room to start working!

Then they started working & here is how it went......

It did take about 20-30 minutes for everyone to finish. Here are some finished groups.....

One group had 5 people & I used the Material Manager card 2 times in 1 group.  You can get you FREE copy here.







We have made these personal rekenreks for our firsties to use.  It has been great when solving math problems, combinations of numbers.  They love them!!!  We use some of the lessons in this packet.  Click here to take you to the website.

And finally our wonderful trip to the pumpkin patch.  If your school is any where around the Charlotte, NC area this is a great place....Patterson's Farm.  We are 1 1/2 hours away & leave school at 8:30am & get back right at dismissal (2:40pm).  But the kids love it & so do parents & teachers!!!!

Corn Box......just like a sand box but better according to my kids!!

Stuffing our scarecrow......too bad it didn't make the bus ride home so we could decorate him:(

Picking pumpkins

Hay ride

Stuffing more hay in the scarecrow

Feeding the animals

As she called them.....snow angels

That was our busy week!!!  Hope everyone has a great Sunday.  It's going to be rainy here all day, so we may watch movies & just relax.  Hope you enjoy whatever your Sunday brings:)